Locking device.



` 1. BRUEHNE.

LOCKING DEVICE.

APQLICATION FILED IAN. I2. |916.

1,179,275. l Paten@ Apr. 11, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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LOCKING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED-JAN. 12, me.

Patent-ed Apr. 1l, 1916.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. 1

JOHN BRUEHNE. OF DENVER. COLORADO.

LOCKING DEVICE.

Application led January 12, 1916.

f and use the same.

This invention relates to locking devices. It is primarily designed for lockiiig.the levers of various makes ot' automobiles, especially of the central control type. and I shall so illustrate and describe it. although it may manifestly be employed for locking levers. for other purposes.

I am aware that there are locks for the transmission control levers of automobiles, but the importance of locking the brake control lever is not considered essential in conjunction therewith. At the outset. in order to fully understand the importance of my invention. I desire to emphasize this point. The brake lever may not be maintained locked in the downtown crowded fire districts. but oftentimes' a machine is left standing unprotected for a long time in an out of the way position from the crowded streets. It ma \v be a private driveway or even a shed. from whence it may be readily hauled away. though the transmission control lever is locked. Again it may be in the suburbs oron a steep hill. and in the latter case there are known instances. where the brake lever has been mischievously tampered with. being the later cause of a disastrous runaway. There are many other instances. such as picnic parties. leaving their machines standing unprotected against theft.

Therefore. the primary object of my invention is to provide a lock suitable for all conditions., whereby.. the levers may be locked independently of eachother or conjointly, and-v ,by ay simple unitary locking de- Aiiotheizpbject .is1to provide a lock. which is notonlgfsiniple and'durable inconstructQILZandY use. but which is also compara'- tively inexpensive to manufacture, which is VefleinmIyaefioiiandalock that can read- Specicaton of Letters Patent.

ily be attached to and operated with the` usual makes of the present day car.

Patent-ed Apr. 11, serial No. 71,761.

--Anotlier object ofthe invention is to pro vide a neat and compact'deviee.flof* small dimensions, having a tixedanember', the base ot which may be disposed between'the'VK lel` vers, when locked. and a hinged sliackling member. adapted vto be swung above' said base when in operative position, and fold# able behind said fixed member `when not 'in use.

l IVitli' these and other objects in View, the invention consists of the structuralarrange# ment and combination of parts, aswilll be more fully described in the following specii fication and particularly pointed outfin"the appended claims.

It will be obvious that various n iinoriarrangements might bel made in `actual mann'- facture, without departing from thcspirit of the invention and without sacricing any of the vital principles thereoff'andwhile the invention is not limited.therefore, to the exact details as shown and described, still for thepurpose of a full disclosure reference is had to the accompanying drawings,

illustrating practical embodiments Iofthe same, in which drawings like characters designate the same parts the several views. and in whichr d H l Figure 1, is a top plan view ofmyl preferred form of locking device. Securedto an automobile body, the brake and transmission control levers being shown in cross-section. in their locked positions, and the .vre-

leased positions of the locking arms being shown in dotted lines. Fig. ,2,is ya similar view of the locking device itself, 4the .top plate of the housing being removed. and showing a lock incased therein. Fig..3,l1sr view in side elevation, the.. shackle member being shown in full lines in its rearwardly folded position7 and in dotted lines with relation to its locking position. Figa, isla side elevation of the parts in. their locked relation. Fig. 5, is a perspective view of a modified form, shown in its lockingposition. Fig. 6. isa fragmentary perspectivev view` the locking arm for the brake lever being released, and that for thetransmission being in ai perspective view, showing thewahingetl member with both lockingarmssopen, and being folded back out of the Way into-its position behind the basemember.`

Broadly speaking the .invention consists.

of a base. a shackle member hinged thereto,

locking position. and Fig. 7, is .j h

havin' open faced slots or pocketsfcoperating with hinged locking arms, the said arnis being capable of being independently or conjoint y locked to said shackle member by a single locking means suchl as a pin tumbler lock, as shown in the preferred form, or a padlock as shown in the modification, the whole comprising a neat; compact, unitary, foldable structure.

To describe my device indetail, and re ferring first particularly to Figs. 1 to 4, the numeral 1 designates a. floor plate, suitably secured, as by bolts or screws 2, to a portion of the automobile base 3, or directly to the Hoor as desired, and this floor plate has an elongated opening or slot 4, correspondingwith a simllar slot in the floor of the car to permit of the oscillation of the brake control lever 5, a suitable aperture being also providedthrough the plate and the floor to allow the transmission control lever 6 to be maintained in operating relation with the transmission mechanism in .the usual way, when it is not desired to lock the lever against movement, but of course the contour of this opening is dependent upon the type of car on which the invention is applied 4and whether the lever has av varying back and forth and sidewise oscillatory movement, as when a universal bearing is employed, or moves back and forth 'in the same plane, in which latter instance the nature of the opening would necessarily be an elongated slot. To the floor plate 1 is securely aflixed my improved locking device in any suitable way, illustrated simply by the screws 7. This locking devicer includes primarily a fixed and a hinged or pivoted member. The fixed member consists of a base plate S. secured to the floor plate. by the fastening means 7. and may be disposeddirectly between the l.aperture for thevtransmission lever and the Yr'ar endv of the 'brake lever slot al. Formed integrally with the base plate S is an upwardly disposed extension 9. which may havea rearwardly inclined portion 10 terminating in a bearing member coperating with a bearing member of the hinged shackle. hereinafter referred to in detail. While these bearing members may be of any suit,- abfel character. in the drawings I have shown the upper end of the portion 10 as' terminating in spaced ears 11 apertured to receive the pivot or hinge pin 12. on which the complementary sleeve 13 of the hinged member is rotatably mounted.Y From this bearing sleeve 13 extends a narrow neck or shankl 11. which terminates in extended and widened front a-nd side walls 15. having top and bottom plates 1G. which may be secured by screws or rivets. indicated at 17. to the top and bottom edges of said walls. the whole forming an enlarged central casing or housing for the reception of a suitable lock 18, which in turn may be secured-by screws or rivets`19 tothe bottom `plate of the casing. This is by way of illustration,

although of course the casing could Abe made as an entirety with an open front, like .the mortise of a doorl andthe lock slipped into place. Also the lock itself forms no partof the present invention and may be of any suitable type, such as a. chest lock, provided with a pair of laterally operating oppositely disposed twin bolts, and a pair of openings in its front wall, registering with similar` openings 32 in the front wall of the casing. to receive a pair of locking eyes or apertured lugs, hereinafter referred to, and into which the pair of bolts may be shot for locking purposes. Formed integrally with the rear of the casing are a pair of oppositely disposed larms 20 and 21. which first extend laterally and thence forwardly to form with the side walls of the casing a pair of open-faced slots or pockets and ot' suitable contour. to receive the transmission and brake control levers. and the ends of these arms or extensions. which terminate substantially in line with the outer portion of the casing. are suitably formed to provide pivotal or hinged bearings Q4 and 25. for a pair of swinging locking arms or bars "1G and 27 of sufficient length to extend to a position adjacent a lug Q8. located on the front.. wall of the casing. although. as heretofore" stated. the casing'or housing may have an open front. in which instance. of course. the front wall thereof andthe lug 2S would be omitted. Also. it evident that the pin tumbler lock might have its twin bolts disposed outside of its lock casing proper. and

in that case. the lock casing would not have tom plates 1G. of the housing. project forwardlv beyond same. above and below the arms 26 and 27. which l contemplate having done 'in actual practice. The inner faces of the free ends of the locking bars Q6 and '27- y are provided with inwardlv disposed locking lugs 29 and 30. shown in the drawings. as at 21. as being apertured to form locking eyes or staples. into which the bolts of the aforesaid lock'are laterally shot. when the parts are disposed in locking relation. but it 'i would manifestly be equivalent to provide the locking lugs with inturned projections. or hooked ornotched ends. to engage the twin bolts. instead of having the locking lugs apertured.

`In the modified form, shown.. in Figs. 5 to..

but in some ty es ot' cars the levers are so close together t at it may be diiicult to provide a, central support of a size to incase a substantial lock, so that I have devised a sli htly different locking arrangement. In this construction, instead of making the central portion in the forni of a casing, this central portion is in the nature of a flat continuation 33 of the shank 14, having enlarged front and side walls 34, correspondingto the dimensions of the extensions and 21, which form a continuation thereof, and on the front wall of the central portion .53 is located a central staple 35. The locking arms -26 and 27 are also made a little longer so as to overlap and pass across the front of the central portion, and the arm 26 mav be recessed, as at 36, sothat the i"ee end of the arm '27 may be neatly set therein when the levers are conjontly locked. The free ends of the locking arms are also provided with re stering slots, instead of the locking lugs s own in Figs. 1 to 4, which slots encompass the staple 35, when a padlock may be applied and the locking made complete, either where only one arm is locked, as in Fig: 6, or both arms are con- 'ointly locked, iis in Fig. 5.

'While I have shown and prefer the base S to extend forwardly. so that it may be disposed directly between the lever openings, which is a decided advantage. in so far that it makes the whole arrangement more com pact, stronger, better braced and safer against dislodgment, still in some instances. where the levers are closely arranged, it may be desirable or necessary to reverse the arrangement, but this does not depart from the main spirit of the invention.

From the foregoing complete description and the drawings, the operation will be clear. It might be stated, however, that when the locking arms are in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. both levers are released and the locking device may be folded back to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3, where it ill be disposed ont of the way. Ilien it is desired to lock either one of the levers independently of the other. the shackle having been swung into operative position. the locking arm '26 or '27. according to which lever is to be locked, is snapped into locking engagement with its complementary bolt of the lock 18, across the open face of the pocket with the lever disposed therein: and if both are to be locked, both arms are similarly7 operated and locked. as shown in Figs. 1. Q and 4.

The operation in the modified forni is evident, and while tlie particular locking arrangement is slightly different. still one locking arm may be locked independently of or conjointly with the other. but in all cases only a single lock is employed.

.ed to receive a lever,

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In lever locking devices, a support having a pair of open faced pockets, each adaptsiipport adapted to swing inwardly :across the open faces of said pockets toward the central portion of said support, and coperatin means, including a single lock. for locking either of said arms in its closed position independently of the other, orconf jointly as desired.

2. In lever locking device-is, a supportliav'sf ing lateral extensions shaped toV forni an open faced pocket oneach side of said snppivoted arms on said port, adapted to receive levers. a locking@ arm pivoted on swing inwardly close the open faces of said pockets, and co-- operating means. including a vsingle lock.

for locking either of said arms tosaid supposition independently of i,

port in its closed the other or con]ointly as desired. i

3. In lever locking devices, a base plat y having a vertical extension.. a shackle niember pivoted to to be swung forwardly, ink a horizontal plane, in operative locking relation with said levers and foldable rearwardly behind said vertical extension, when not in use, said shackle member havinga pair of forwardly open-faced pockets. each adapted to receive a level', and means coperating between said. support and the open faces of said pockets to close either of the latter independently of the other or conjointly, as desired, and a lock for said closing means.

l. In lever locking devices, a base plate having a vertical extension at its rear ppr-A tion. a shackle member pivoted to said'exeach of saidextensionsto .l toward said support amb,

said extension and adapted...

tension and adapted to be swung forwardly in a horizontal position above said base plate the' levers to be base plate being adapted to rest between said levers, in their shackle member having open faced pockets. each adapted to receive a lever, movable parts' carried by said shackle and operating over the open faces of said pockets to close eitherof the latter independently of the other or conjointly. as desired, and locking means. including a single lock, for said movable parts.

5'. In lever locking devices, a base plate adapted to be lixedly supported adiacent a pair of levers and having a vertical extension. a shackle member pivoted at its rear end to said extension. and adapted to laswiing forwardly and rearwardly on both sides of said extension, said shackle meniber consisting oi' an enlarged central portion havingr lateral extensions shaped to forni an open faced pocket on each side of locked positions, said a pair of' forwardly io l I* adJacent a pair of levers to be lockel said central portion, each adapted to recelve a. lever, an operating arm plvoted 0n each of said lateral extensions toswing ini.k wardly toward said central portion and close "central sup ort independently of the other,

or conjoint y as desired. y

6. In lever locking devices, a shackle member, adapted to be suitably sup ortled inc ependently or conjointly, comprising an enlarged central portion, an open faced pocket formed on each side of said central portion, pivoted locking arms mounted to swing toward said central portion and close said open faced pockets, a double bolt lock carried by said central portion, and locking lugs carried by said locking arms at their free ends, and adapted to engage their complementary bolt of said lock in locking relatlon.

7. In lever locking devices, a base plate having a vertical extension, a shackle member pivoted to said extension and adapted to be swung forwardly and rearwardly of said extension, said shackle member comprising an enlarged central portion having lateral extensions shaped to form an open faced pocket on each side of said central portion, each adapted to receive a lever, a locking arm pivoted on each of said lateral extensions so as to swing `inwardly toward said central portion and close the open face of its complementary pocket, a double bolt lock carried by said central portion. and locking lugs carried bythe free ends of said locking arms, and adapted to independently or conjointlv engage said lock in locking relation.

8. Ih lever locking devices, a shackle member,-adapted to be -suitably suppiated adjacent a pair of levers to be locked" iiidependently or conjointly. comprising a central housingv` an open faced pocket formed on each side of said housing, pivoted locking arms mounted to swing inwardly; toward the front of said housing and close the ,openl facesmof ,their com .A pockets@ lockyhaving opposite y disposed lts, lincased in said housing,

` and locking Alugs on the free ends of said arms and adapted to engage, in lockin relation, their complementary bolt of said ock. y Inlever locking devices, a shacklemenv ber, adapted to be suitably su ported' adjacent a pair of levers to be loc {ed independently or ,conjointly, 'comprising a central housinv, an open faced pocket formed on each Side. o said housing, pivoted locking arms mounted .to swing inwardly into engagement with tliekfront wall of said housing and close the openaces of their complementary pookets lock, having oppositely disposed twin locliing bolts, incased in said housing, a pair o'iapertures beingformed in the front `wall of n said housing, locking lugs on the free ends of `Isaid arms, and adapted to engage their comc plementary bolt of said lock through said apertures, and a forwardly projecting lug on the front wall of said housing, located between said apertures and between the free ends of'said arms when in their locked positions, to prevent a locked arm fronrbeing pried open at the' end when the other arm is unlocked.

10. In lever locking devices, a base plate having a vertical extension,` a shackleinember plvoted to said extension and adapted to be swung forwardly and rearwardly t-lereof, said shackle member comprising a central housing having lateral extensions shaped to form an bpen faced pocket on each side of said central portion, each adapted t0 receive rideter, a locking arm pivoted on each lateral""'extension so as to swing inwardl)v to *ardsaid casing or housing and close the open face of its complementary pocket, a lock. having oppositely disposed twin locking bolts, incasedin said housing, and locking lugs on the free epds of said arms and adapted to engage, in locking relation. their complementar)v bolt ot' said lock.

In testimony whereof, I atlix my signature.

JOHN BRUF. HNE.

lementary 

